"Nine-Tails, I have a question for you…"
"It's common knowledge that you've surely eaten humans before. That doesn't need much explanation, and I can genuinely understand. After all, humans enjoy eating various small animals, and from a Tailed Beast's perspective, humans are merely one type of small animal."
"So, here's the question: back when you were first born, in those younger years, were there ever times when rationality found it difficult to resist instinct?"
Ahem. As everyone knows, foxes are canids, and canids possess a certain very strong instinct. For example, a dog might resist eating meat, but it surely cannot resist eating… feces.
"What I mean to ask is, whether self-produced or from a third party, have you ever eaten feces?"
Objectively speaking, this question was quite important to Habara. He had something of a mental fixation on cleanliness, and now that he occupied the Nine-Tails' body, thoughts of canids and their… favored cuisine made his skin crawl.
Therefore, he desperately wanted to hear a negative answer from the Nine-Tails at this moment.
However, the Nine-Tails' response was to wrinkle its nose and bare its sharp teeth, becoming entirely wolfishly ferocious… This only intensified Habara's discomfort. Wolves were canids too! What fundamental difference was there between dogs and wolves? Didn't they both cherish what the other cherished? It was unclear why the Nine-Tails was so agitated now. Hadn't the two parties reached an agreement regarding the chakra distribution ratio just moments ago? The Nine-Tails had rushed over so eagerly precisely because it wanted to devour Habara's chakra. Habara had consented, relinquishing a significant portion of his chakra and gifting it to the Nine-Tails. His only condition was that the Nine-Tails exchange its own chakra in return… An equivalent exchange, fair and reasonable.
So, while the chakra amounts weren't balanced, one had to consider subjective intent. A larger volume of gold is certainly worth more than a smaller volume of stinky tofu, but what if someone insisted on trading their gold for that specific piece of stinky tofu? Habara, naturally, respected the Nine-Tails' choice. He had such affection for this wild creature.
The feeling of death could not be faked. Previously, Habara had genuinely believed his demise was certain. The combination of Nagato and the Gedo Mazo left him with no path to survival. However, after his main body perished, his remaining chakra hadn't dissipated as expected. Instead, it had converged here… The chakra he had left anchored within the Nine-Tails could, in a sense, truly be considered a special type of clone.
When this portion of chakra reunited with his "clone," the information and memories contained within were brought back as well. Consequently, this sole remaining clone was activated as his primary consciousness.
The reason for his resurrection, one needn't think hard to realize, was related to the forbidden techniques he had employed. The effects of extracting his own body and barely managing to transform into a chakra-based life form apparently didn't vanish completely just because he reversed the change. It was highly possible that Habara hadn't been an ordinary ninja for a very long time.
Or, to put it more bluntly, perhaps he hadn't been an ordinary human for a long time, he simply hadn't realized it until now.
However, the revival of Habara's consciousness didn't signify a complete resurrection. In fact, the danger he faced hadn't diminished… Having lost his main body, this chakra was like rootless duckweed, destined to dissipate eventually.
How long it could persist, he didn't know. Perhaps it would last for over a decade within the seal, similar to the chakra remnants of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki in the remembered timeline. Or perhaps it would vanish after only three to five days.
Therefore, Habara urgently needed to restore his ability to generate chakra—meaning he required a true physical body. And within this seal, fortunately or unfortunately, his options were limited to one and only one: the Nine-Tails.
He then took the most rational, yet also most perilous, course of action. While his own chakra hadn't yet weakened significantly, he feigned frailty, using the isolating seal barrier created by the Adamantine Sealing Chains as a trap to lure the Nine-Tails into stepping inside.
As it turned out, even the craftiest fox couldn't outwit the most despicable old hunter. The Nine-Tails plunged headfirst into the snare. Habara swiftly tied the opening shut and, without a shred of hesitation, tossed the trapped entity out.
Conversely, a lack of caution was the primary reason for the Nine-Tails' misfortune. Consider this: if it had been willing to be harsher on itself from the beginning—just as Habara, upon seizing control, had immediately bitten off the tail—if it had chosen to "sever the tail for survival" earlier, none of the current events would have transpired.
How could the Nine-Tails have known the danger was so severe? It likely previously regarded the intrusion as nothing more than a pimple on its body, certainly not something requiring amputation as treatment.
Habara had merely utilized the seal's isolation to split the Nine-Tails' chakra in two; he hadn't eliminated the Nine-Tails itself. Thus, within the Eight Trigrams Seal, there were now two foxes: the chakra from the Nine-Tails' original tail, most of Habara's own chakra, plus the Nine-Tails' primary spiritual entity—these three components had mingled, gained "independence," and naturally formed a new Nine-Tails.
However, compared to its former towering, fierce, almost feral appearance, the current Nine-Tails resembled a 1/4 or 1/5 scale "figure." It actually looked somewhat cute.
If one could ignore the absolute, unadulterated hostility it displayed towards Habara.
It couldn't be helped. Its entire life's savings had essentially been swapped out from under it. Frankly, the emotions swirling within it likely couldn't be encompassed by mere anger alone.
"Don't be so furious. People's perspectives change. Now, I am also a Tailed Beast, so naturally, I will consider issues from a Tailed Beast's standpoint… Human emotions are fickle. When walking, you curse at cars; when cycling, you curse at pedestrians; when driving, you curse at cyclists. Now, we are both the same, so naturally, we should coexist amicably."
If one included Kushina Uzumaki's other half of the Nine-Tails, Konoha now effectively housed three Nine-Tails. As expected of Tailed Beasts, they could apparently multiply through mitosis.
"And don't feel like you got a raw deal. Although you lost most of your chakra, think about it: does the remaining chakra truly hinder you from eating, sleeping, or beating up Shukaku? You gained the majority of my chakra, you might even be able to use the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai now. Your combat methods are far more diverse. You no longer need to resort to biting people like before—that's so un-elegant."
The words sounded pleasant, yet they fooled no one. Having lost so much chakra, the Nine-Tails before him lacked the overwhelming oppressive aura characteristic of a Tailed Beast. At best, it could now be considered a "Half-Tailed Beast"—possessing all the traits but lacking sufficient chakra.
It could no longer compare its chakra levels to the One-Tail Shukaku. Whether it could even defeat Shukaku was another question entirely… After all, Shukaku was a "powerful" Tailed Beast capable of holding its own against Gamabunta.
At this point, the Nine-Tails finally managed to rein in its emotions slightly. For the first time since the swap, it spoke with rationality, "Does this mean you are willing to break through this seal together with me? You ought to be thoroughly familiar with this seal's effects and principles."
The Nine-Tails didn't care how Habara had stolen its chakra; it only knew its chakra was gone. And now, it desired only freedom. If escaping the seal was possible through this opportunity, that would serve as a consolation prize, however small.
However, Habara merely stated, "Break the seal? No, that's unnecessary. This seal will be opened soon enough. But when that time comes, only I will be leaving. You will have to obediently remain here and serve your sentence."
The Nine-Tails was utterly stunned. What happened to "we are the same"? It felt deceived, and then it could no longer contain its overflowing rage.
Snarling and baring its teeth, the Nine-Tails lunged directly at Habara. The motion was simultaneously ferocious and strangely cute.
And then, Habara swatted it to the ground with a single paw.
One shouldn't forget, Habara was currently a massive white fox, possessing eight white tails and one black tail. This form was truly far more elegant than the original Nine-Tails. It could even warrant a grand, positive-sounding title, something along the lines of "Benevolent Sacred Manifestation of Electromagnetic Induction, True Lord."
Still, the Nine-Tails' point about leaving the seal was indeed significant. Habara didn't know what impact his "death" had caused in the outside world, but leaving this seal sooner rather than later was advisable.
Forcibly breaking the seal would be extremely difficult and would also harm the Jinchuriki, Naruto. The key to the Eight Trigrams Seal couldn't possibly be located inside the seal. In fact, the key Habara had used previously was currently stored within the "Infinite Library," far beyond his reach while sealed.
No other choice remained. Habara first had to attempt contacting little Naruto.
In the dead of night, within the dorm room of the Shadow Leaf City Spring Flower All-Enclosed Kindergarten, young Uzumaki Naruto slept.
Naruto was always bursting with energy, so after a full day of running wild, he slept particularly soundly at night. However, even the deepest sleeper can be woken by the urge to urinate. His internal floodgates opening uncontrollably, Naruto sprang upright with a single bounce, ready to dive headfirst into the restroom.
Yet, upon waking, he found himself not in his dormitory at all. He was surrounded by pitch darkness, a vast expanse swirling with an ethereal white mist.
Naruto instantly became wide awake.
"Where is this place? Who's there?!"
Naruto, being Naruto, immediately started shouting upon realizing something was amiss. It must be said, this child could calmly watch a living person perform a literal once-in-a-lifetime decapitation act; his nerves were remarkably tough and resilient. However, this didn't mean he was fearless.
On the contrary, he was terrified of ghosts, spooky things, and the ethereal unknown. In certain specific situations, he was as timid as a mouse.
His voice echoed unanswered. Unable to get his bearings, Naruto could only steel himself and walk forward.
After walking for an unknown duration, a gigantic gate with iron bars blocked his path.
"Who's inside?"
He called out again. Listening carefully and hearing no response, he cautiously approached.
As he drew nearer, the mist behind the bars gradually dissipated, revealing a massive, fluffy white fox that emanated a soft glow within the darkness.
Guiding Naruto's consciousness this deep into the seal had taken considerable effort, so Habara didn't intend to waste time. He stated bluntly, "Naruto, go back and tell your mother to open the door. Be quick…"
However, before he could finish his sentence, Naruto saw another, smaller, orange fox dart out from the shadows. It lunged straight towards him, slamming its head violently against the bars, resulting in a bloody mess.
The blood made the small fox look even more savage. Its body was blocked by the bars, but one forepaw thrust through the gap between them, sharp claws swiping directly at Naruto's forehead.
"Mommy!"
Naruto bolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat. The comforter covering him had slipped down to his waist. Upon waking, he quickly glanced left and right, confirming he was indeed in his dorm room, before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
"What the—? So it was just a nightmare. Nothing to worry abou—"
As he spoke, he subconsciously moved his slightly stiff legs, and then felt something wet and cold sticking to his skin within the bedcovers.
The floodgates, it seemed, had ultimately failed to hold.
Habara couldn't care less whether Naruto was diligently creating artistic patterns on his bedsheets nightly. At the moment, he was annoyed that the Nine-Tails had run out to cause trouble.
"You're a Tailed Beast. Isn't stooping to this level rather beneath you? Do you get some sense of accomplishment from scaring a child?"
The Nine-Tails paid Habara's words no mind. Its only goal was to disrupt his actions. Leave the seal alone? Dream on.
Of course, the Nine-Tails also paid a price for its actions. Habara was currently using two paws to bat around an "embroidered ball." As for who could best play the role of the embroidered ball within this seal space… it was undoubtedly the Nine-Tails.
Habara's disappearance and the appearance of the Rinnegan undoubtedly triggered a stress response in Konoha. The Hokage assigned Tenzo to search for Habara's whereabouts on one hand, and dispatched Jiraiya to investigate the Rinnegan situation on the other. Simultaneously, both Konoha proper and Shadow Leaf entered a state of heightened alert—calm on the surface, tense underneath.
Jiraiya, naturally, had leads concerning the Rinnegan. After briefly inspecting the battlefield in the Land of Rivers, he headed straight into the Land of Rain.
An endless drizzle fell; the weather in the Land of Rain seemed perpetually unchanging.
The Rain Tiger at Will Technique, blanketing the entire nation, was immediately redeployed as soon as Nagato had recovered slightly… It clearly showed he was someone plagued by a profound lack of security, likely stemming from his childhood experiences.
His parents murdered, years spent wandering, the loss of his companion—the world had been so full of malice towards him; it would be abnormal if he did feel secure.
Therefore, when such a powerful chakra signature entered the Land of Rain, Nagato naturally detected it immediately. After another round of verification, he easily confirmed Jiraiya's identity.
Although Jiraiya's infiltration was executed with utmost thoroughness, his stealth skills ranking among the absolute best in the ninja world, under such a vast-range sensory technique, his every move was laid bare.
Having dealt with one Sage Mode user, another now arrived. Nagato's current condition was highly unsuitable for another high-intensity battle. Besides anything else, the Six Paths of Pain hadn't even been rebuilt yet.
Consequently, he decided to dispatch someone to handle the potential problem Jiraiya posed. Whether it meant eliminating Jiraiya or merely diverting him, the crucial point was preventing Amegakure's secrets from being exposed… Akatsuki currently had no intention of engaging in direct conflict with Konoha.
As for whom to send to intercept Jiraiya? Akatsuki happened to have personnel perfectly suited for the task.
For example, Orochimaru.